Is There A Connection Between Stress And Obesity?

Note: Body size and weight aren’t the sole factors involved in physical and mental health, and is not always a contributor to an individual’s ailments. While weight loss is a healthy avenue for some, it may not be the correct one for others, and one’s value doesn’t come from one’s body weight or size. This article is for those interested in the body’s response to stress regarding body fat and other physical indicators of health.

Stress contributes to multiple mental and physical ailments, and it may cause fluctuations in weight, including weight gain. According to studies, two-thirds of the United States population experiences overweight while nearly one-third may experience obesity, sometimes attributed to stress and other lifestyle factors. While based on body mass index (BMI) calculations that aren’t always accurate, these figures demonstrate a long-term trend of weight changes in the general population. Understanding how to cope with a changing body and its connection with stress can be beneficial in improving your mental health and well-being. 

This article explores the relationship between stress and obesity, including stress-related symptoms that can impact eating behavior and lead to an increase in weight. We’ll also provide resources for individuals who’d liek to discuss the effects of stress with a mental health professional. 

Why is there a relationship between stress and obesity?

The relationship between stress and obesity is complex and involves multiple physiological and psychological factors. Chronic stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to the release of stress hormones that can increase food intake, particularly of comfort food, and contribute to stress eating. 

This stress-induced eating behavior can result in increased body mass and a higher body mass index (BMI), as well as the accumulation of abdominal fat. The stress response caused by chronic stress and acute stress may increase the risk of impact metabolic syndrome as well, which can raise blood pressure and affect overall health. Systematic reviews in public health have shown that perceived stress and psychosocial stress are significant contributors to obesity, highlighting the importance of stress management to prevent related health issues.

According to a study from the International Journal of Preventative Medicine, stress and obesity are interconnected “through different lines of cognition, behavior, and physiology.” The study from J Prev. Med. also states that stress interferes with cognitive processes like self-regulation and influences behaviors such as indulging in and overeating foods that are high in sugar and calories. 

Stress connections

Below are a few ways stress connects to weight gain and specific behaviors that may lead to fluctuation in weight. 

Stress and comfort eating

What you eat and how much you eat may impact your weight. However, every person has a different metabolism. Regardless, stress can influence eating behaviors. Some people eat to comfort themselves when they feel stressed. They might choose comforting foods that are higher in calories or skip a meal to eat snacks. 

Fats and sugar may weaken the stress response, causing an immediate stress reduction. These foods include, but are not limited to:

• Fast food
• Candy
• Soft drinks
• Chips
• Baked goods

People can crave these foods as coping mechanisms when encountering specific situations that cause stress. Comfort foods are often convenient and require little-to-no time to prepare, making them attractive options for a person who feels burned out and doesn't want to cook. 

Stress-eating is considered a form of self-medication, and one study by the University of San Francisco found that women who were stressed were more likely to eat in response to feeling emotionally upset. 

Note that overeating and bingeing meals or snacks can indicate binge eating disorder. If you often binge to reduce emotional distress or as a compulsion, consider contacting a therapist. Eating disorders are serious and can have many adverse impacts. 

Stress and alcohol use

Stress may be a cause of frequent alcohol use or emotional drinking. While alcohol might not contain as much sugar or fat as comfort foods, alcohol provides 7.1 kcal per gram, which can quickly add up. However, this caloric number doesn't account for nutritional factors for specific drinks, which can make the caloric content of an alcoholic beverage higher. For example, beer is rich in carbohydrates, which can contribute to excess energy. 

Alcohol can also stimulate food intake in people and exacerbate comfort-eating behaviors. One possible explanation for this effect is that alcohol and food are often associated. The relationship between stress and alcohol consumption is well-documented. When people are stressed, some resort to alcohol to relieve anxiety, which is linked to increased corticotropin-releasing factor expression in the amygdala. This process can create an altered brain state and motivate further alcohol consumption.

When stressed out, each drink a person consumes contributes to their daily caloric intake, which can cause weight fluctuations. For regular alcohol consumers or people with a substance use disorder, this behavior could lead to weight gain. 

Stress and metabolism

Excess calories from food and alcohol can directly cause weight gain. However, the body's stress response can also result in metabolic changes that could have the same effect. It's one reason why depression and weight gain are often associated.

Intense stress has been associated with appetite suppression and weight loss, connected to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the release of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). This hormone can affect the sympathetic nervous system while releasing catecholamine, which will then have anorexigenic-like results by impacting the liver and brown and white adipose tissue.

This mechanism and increased thermogenesis are why stress can induce anorexia in some people. However, this is not the case for some people who struggle with stress, and weight gain may occur. Instead of appetite suppression, overeating may become a challenge. 

Glucocorticoids- involved with energy balance and metabolic control- are a type of hormone class containing cortisol. They are also known for their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. Glucocorticoids are necessary for living, but hypercortisolism (high cortisol levels) is associated with abdominal obesity, increased body fat, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and a preference for high fat foods. 

Glucocorticoids also affect brown adipose tissue, which is responsible for thermoregulation and energy expenditure, which can cause a loss in body fat. In high amounts, it can impair thermogenesis and alter energy balance, causing fewer calories to be burned, potentially leading to weight gain.

In addition to weight gain, these pro-obesogenic effects in the metabolic system that are caused by stress have the potential to cause cardiometabolic diseases, such as type two diabetes.

Stress and exercise

Engaging in regular physical activity has been proven to have several benefits in treating stress. However, at the same time, stress can also have an adverse effect on a person's motivation to be active. 

The above study shows that stress is correlated with low levels of physical activity in individuals with demanding occupations and other responsibilities, such as first-time mothers, military spouses, teachers, nurses, caregivers, and medical school students. Additionally, those experiencing or have survived a severe illness are more likely to experience chronic stress, and chronic pain can lead to difficulty exercising. 

Negative affectivity, anxiety, anger, and distress are all factors that can discourage a person from exercising. However, a person may gradually ease into an exercise routine by inspiring motivation to exercise or finding other ways to reduce stress.

For those managing stress and weight changes, exercise may help you keep your body healthy, regardless of your weight goals. You may also need to consider the types of food you eat or how you eat if your goal is weight loss. Exercise can help you burn calories, but you will not lose weight if you are not burning more than you consume.

Counseling for stress management

Some individuals might not seek support for prolonged stress because they find making time for an appointment challenging. Online therapy is an ideal alternative for this group of people, as online platforms like BetterHelp eliminate the need to commute to a therapist's office. Once you are matched with a licensed counselor, you can schedule appointments at times that are convenient for your schedule. Often, online therapy is more cost-effective than in-person counseling, which may be optimal for people experiencing stress related to financial challenges.

Internet-based treatment approaches for stress management continue to show efficacy for diverse populations. In a recent randomized controlled study involving 63 participants divided into an experimental treatment group and a waiting list control group, internet-administered interventions, like applied relaxation, time management, problem-solving, and cognitive restructuring, successfully achieved improvements for the experimental group. 

In a separate study, researchers sought to evaluate the impact of online cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on improving psychological outcomes among 120 people undertaking a comprehensive weight management program. The study leaders concluded that online CBT was a valuable supplement to medications in improving mental health and reducing emotional eating.